Families of two Marathon victims say capture doesn’t change things

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The brother of Krystle M. Campbell, one of the three people killed in the Boston Marathon terrorist bombing, tonight welcomed the arrest of suspect Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, but said his capture does not change the painful reality that his sister is gone.

“It’s not going to bring her back,” William Campbell III, whose 29-year-old sister was killed when the bombs went off at the marathon finish line on Boylston Street Monday. “I’m happy that nobody else is going to get hurt by these guys, but it’s not going to bring her back.”

Speaking by phone tonight after Tsarnaev was captured in Watertown, Campbell said he followed today’s rapid developments -- where nearly a 1 million people were ordered to stay in their homes so police could search Watertown and other communities for the bombing suspect -- “off and on.’’

But added that he has “been trying to shut out reality a little bit by turning off the TV. It was nice when the power went out here for a little while.”

Bill Richard via AP

Martin Richard

As for the rest of the family, including Krystle’s father, William Campbell Jr., and mother, Patricia Campbell, “they’re happy they got the guys, but basically they feel the same,” he said.

“You can only get so angry,’’ he added. “And you then know she’s not going to be here anymore.”

The family of Martin William Richard, the eight-year-old Dorchester boy murdered during the terrorist bombings, last night expressed their thanks to the public safety community and the public as a whole for their intense commitment to solving the bombing case.

“Our family wishes to salute the thousands of officers and agents from the Boston, Cambridge and Watertown Police & Fire Departments, Massachusetts State Police, FBI, ATF, and other police departments and agencies who worked and collaborated around the clock to bring the perpetrators of Monday’s attack to justice,’’ the Richard family said. “We also thank the citizens and businesses that shared images and footage with investigators in hopes of advancing the investigation.”

The family said that the communal effort “worked, and tonight, our community is once again safe from these two men.’’

The family noted, however, that their lives were changed forever by the bombing.

“None of this will bring our beloved Martin back, or reverse the injuries these men inflicted on our family and nearly two hundred others. We continue to pray for healing and for comfort on the long road that lies ahead for every victim and their loved ones,’’ the statement said. “Tonight, our family applauds the entire law enforcement community for a job well done, and trust that our justice system will now do its job.’’